Romuald Iosifovich Klim dies, world athletics bears another setback - Athletics news
After the sad demises of legendary athlete, Grete Waitz and the young and formidable runner, Samuel Wanjiru, the world athletics now mourns over the death of Olympic Hammer Throw champion, Romuald Iosifovich Klim. Klim, the Russian athlete, who passed away
at the age of 78, had long been suffering from acute illness.
Klim, who was conferred upon with the 'Order of the Badge of Honor' in 1965, was born in Khvoevo, a small village of district Niasviž, situated in the Minsk Province of Belarus, on May 25, 1933. While competing for the former Soviet Union, Klim marked an
impressive career which witnessed a number of prestigious feathers in his cap.
The first big win of the legendary athlete’s career was the gold medal at the Hammer Throw competition in the Olympic Games 1964 held in Tokyo, Japan. Once the formidable hammer thrower realised his potential for the discipline, nothing could hinder his
way from achieving excellence in his game. Four years down the road after the first gold medal of his career, Klim appeared at the 1968 Summer Olympics, organised in Mexico City, Mexico. He finished behind Gyula Zsivotzky from Hungry and marked his dominance
on the field by earning a silver medal in the event.
Earlier, while participating in the European competition, held in Budapest in 1966, the legendary athlete bagged the event title. Making his presence felt at the athletic arena, the emphatic thrower claimed continental silver in Athens in 1969. The same
year, Klim emerged as the World record holder in the same discipline for throwing a remarkable 74.52m at the International Nepszava Cup, organised in Budapest, on June 15.
The foundation of a challenging performance displayed by the Belarusian throughout his career was laid during the time he spent at VSS Chervony Stsyag in Vitebsk and later on at the Armed Forces sports society in Misk, the province he belonged to, for training
purposes. The death of the legendary sportsman has left the entire athletic community mourning on another huge loss incurred by it during this ongoing year. Amid the entertaining performances he had been displaying on the field during his illustrious career,
he will always be remembered and honoured by athletics fans from around the world.
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